THE SHAPE OF A LIFE
Submit up to 10 photographs capturing the essence of absence and the traces of human presence—objects, places, or moments that suggest a life without showing the person directly.
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Get matched →- Deadline
- 26 days left
- Entry fee
- $25
- Award
- $1,000
- Location
- Brooklyn, New York
- Exhibition window
- Nov 1, 2026 → Jan 1, 2027
- Applicants notified
- Oct 20, 2026
About
Overview
THE SHAPE OF A LIFE is an online photography exhibition seeking images that capture absence and trace rather than presence. A life is shaped by quieter things: the places we return to, the objects we keep, the moments that pass almost unnoticed until memory gives them meaning. What we're looking for: what remains when a person is no longer in the frame. A door handle worn smooth by years of the same hand. A chair still holding the shape of whoever sat there last. A path worn into grass by footsteps that repeated for years. The trace, not the person.
Eligibility
Open to photographers worldwide, 18 years and older. All photographic processes and styles welcome.
What to Submit
- Submit 4–10 JPEG/JPG files at 2100 pixels on the long side
- No text, watermarks, borders, or frames
- Work should capture documentary, fine art, conceptual, or personal photographs that suggest presence without showing the person directly
Key Dates
- Submission deadline: October 10, 2026
- Notification: October 20, 2026
- Exhibition: November 1, 2026 – January 1, 2027
Fees & Awards
- Entry fee: $25 for 4 images; $5 for each additional image
- First Place: $500 + Solo Exhibition on Decagon Gallery website
- Second Place: $250
- Third Place: $150
- Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each
- Human Presence Nomination: Free entry to a future Decagon open call
- Total cash awards: $1,000
What Selected Photographers Receive
- Inclusion in the curated online exhibition
- Permanent exhibition page on Decagon Gallery
- Feature on Decagon's Instagram
- Inclusion in the exhibition catalog
- All rights and copyright retained by photographers
Contact
Decagon Gallery | [email protected] | 657-330-1094
- Award
- First Place: $500 + Solo Exhibition on the Decagon Gallery website; Second Place: $250; Third Place: $150; Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each; Human Presence Nomination: Free entry to a future Decagon open call
- Entry fee
- $25 for up to 4 images; $5 for each additional image
- Entries per artist
- Up to 10
- Theme
- What remains when a person is no longer in the frame—the traces of human presence through objects, places, and moments marked by time and habit, rather than portraits showing people directly.
- Eligibility
- Open to photographers worldwide, 18 years and older.
- Audience
- Open to photographers worldwide, 18 years and older
- Size & format
- 2100 pixels on the long side
- Also worth noting
- 2100 pixels on the long side
- Contact
- [email protected]
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.